One spring afternoon about a year and a half ago, I was at a friend’s studio. Around this time, I was on a producer kick. I was unemployed and with so much time on my hands, I was hellbent on learning how to make beats. Jimmy or many of you know him as J57 offered to give me a crash course. And I’m not sure about you guys but when someone as talented as he is offers you free lessons on his craft, you take it.

So there I was, sitting in his Brooklyn studio that has produced tracks for so many notable artists, with this man who could be doing hundreds of other things besides this. What better way to get a jumpstart on producing, right? Jimmy opened up his ol’ reliable, Reason 6 and he went at it. For hours, we drank and I watched while he laid the foundation down, occasionally asking me for my feedback. At one point, I remember him dropping the beat down a half tempo and both of us shaking our heads yes. We both fell in love with it. When I left that day, I did not know what we worked on would become “Crazy is Beautiful” off Koncept & J57’s Fuel EP. I’m still waiting on my co-producer credits for the track. We’ll find out on Friday. READ MORE…